CFTC to ‘defer to leagues’ as NFL calls for tighter prediction market guardrails
The NFL asked prediction markets like Kalshi and Polymarket to stop offering contracts on easily manipulated single-play events.Summary
The National Football League (NFL) has requested that prediction market platforms, including Kalshi and Polymarket, cease offering contracts on events that are easily manipulated or predetermined. The league specifically flagged markets tied to single-play outcomes (like a quarterback's first pass or a kicker's miss), draft picks, roster decisions, and broadcast mentions, citing concerns over potential manipulation incentives, especially regarding penalties and injuries. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) Chairman Michael Selig stated that the agency will grant significant deference to the leagues when assessing which contracts are vulnerable to manipulation, acknowledging that leagues are well-positioned to make these determinations. This development occurs while lawmakers consider bipartisan legislation to ban federally regulated prediction markets from offering sports-related contracts, and other leagues, like MLB, pursue collaborative monitoring agreements with platforms and the CFTC.
(Source：The Block)